Entertainment

Denver Comic Con prepares for 75,000 fans at 2014 event

DENVER, CO - MAY 31: Wilbert Rivera stands on a granite ball while taking a break outside of the Colorado Convention Center during Denver Comic Con at on May 31, 2013 in Denver, Colorado. (THE DENVER POST | Seth McConnell)

Nerds, take heart: Organizers of the Denver Comic Con have beefed up their offerings after a jam-packed convention last year that — minus a few hiccups — proved what a fertile market the Mile High City has become for all things geeky, sci-fi and fantasy-related.

"We've spent thousands of hours planning for entry, hiring security and event staff and training our army of volunteers to help make the fan experience at DCC the best it can be," said convention director Christina Angel via e-mail. "Operationally, we have the right people in the right positions to orchestrate such a large event. We've increased our volunteer base to 860 people [up from 350 last year], and trained them all for specific tasks throughout the con."

Organizers of the third annual Denver Comic Con are expecting about 75,000 fans to flock to the 500,000 square feet of exhibit space featuring artists, vendors, celebrity speeches, panels, gaming sessions, costume contests and more at the Colorado Convention Center June 13-15.

Celebrity guests this year include a partial cast reunion of the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" TV series — moderated by the original "Star Trek" captain himself, William Shatner — as well as Lou Ferrigno ("The Hulk"), Stephen Amell ("Arrow"), Adam West, Burt Ward and Julie Newmar ("Batman"), Bruce Campbell ("Army of Darkness"), Karen Gillan ("Doctor Who") and dozens more.

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Denver's largest consumer convention is also one of the country's biggest comic cons, which have become lucrative events in recent years as superheroes, zombies, vampires and video games have grabbed the pop-culture spotlight.

"While I love comics, you may not," Angel said. "Your thing might be 'Battlestar Galactica' or 'Doctor Who.' In order to appeal to 75,000 people we need to make sure that we touch as many corners of pop culture as we can."

Riddle me this: How many people are expected at this year's Denver Comic Con? Expect up to 75,000 fans in the 500,000 square feet of exhibit space. (John Leyba, Denver Post file)

The rise of the Denver Comic Con has not been without drama. The Comic Con is an annual program of Comic Book Classroom, a four-year-old Denver nonprofit that teaches literacy and arts skills to children in grades 5-8.

The co-founders of Comic Book Classroom, Frank Romero and Charlie La Greca, parted ways with the organization and the Comic Con earlier this year amid La Greca's claims that current leadership of the Con mismanaged funds and abandoned its core mission. La Greca allied himself with the SaveDenverComicCon.com website as Con officials struggled to put forth a united public-relations front.

After mediation concluded last month, the two parties reached an undisclosed agreement that kept any kind of settlement under wraps. But the pangs of growth at nonprofit arts organizations are nothing new, and the Comic Con's Angel said these events have only strengthened the Con's mission.

"Leadership transitions are always difficult. Our attention is really centered on continuing to deliver — as we always have — on building a sustainable organization that thoroughly implements the mission of engaging kids in education and literacy."

The Con also experienced long lines last year as attendance doubled from nearly 30,000 in 2012 to more than 60,000 in 2013. Fire marshals ordered convention staff to turn away 6,000 would-be convention-goers who had waited for several hours in a line estimated at nearly 15,000 people.

"This year we believe (the lines will) move much faster because we've created a system to exchange pre-purchased paper tickets for badges at various locations throughout the city," Angel said, pointing attendees toward denvercomiccon.com for more details. "We've been encouraging people to not wait until the day of the show to purchase tickets, too."

Most tickets are expected to sell out in advance, which should be seen as a coup for Denver's cultural boosters, Angel said.

"One of best parts about getting 75,000 people together this weekend — not just from Denver, but from all over the country — is that all of these events contribute to our local economy. They showcase local talent, put local people to work and highlight what's great about Denver's pop-culture community."

John Wenzel: 303-954-1642, jwenzel@denverpost.com or twitter.com/johnwenzel

DENVER COMIC CON 2014. Pop-culture convention with emphasis on comic books, sci-fi, fantasy, costumes and gaming. June 13-15 at the Colorado Convention Center, 700 14th St. All days except Sunday sold out. Tickets: $5-$30, available at denvercomiccon.com.

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